Clubs to compete for top prize of a trip to the Great Ethiopian Run as the England Athletics-supported competition is held for the third time
The Great Run Club Challenge is to be held for the third time in 2015, with the competition kicking off at the Morrisons Great Edinburgh Run on April 19.
The challenge, run in partnership with England Athletics, offers clubs the chance to compete for a top prize of a trip to the Great Ethiopian Run.
The winning club from each Morrisons Great Run Series event, based on the average time of their fastest seven men and women to finish, is placed in a draw for the chance to win the Great Ethiopian Run trip prize, while there is also a range of rewards on offer at individual events.
The Great Run Club Challenge series of events has expanded from six to eight races in 2015.
Great Run Club Challenge events
Morrisons Great Edinburgh Run April 19
Morrisons Great Birmingham 10k May 3
Morrisons Great Manchester Run – May 10
Morrisons Great North 10k – July 5
Morrisons Great North Run September 13
Morrisons Great Yorkshire Run – September 27
Morrisons Great Birmingham Run – October 18
Morrisons Great South Run – October 25
Clubs affiliated with England Athletics, and fielding at least seven male and seven female registered athletes, automatically qualify to take part.
The top prize includes a stay at the famous Yaya Village, located outside the city of Addis Ababa at an altitude of 2700 meters above sea level. The winning team will also enjoy a personal meeting with distance running great Haile Gebrselassie before taking part in the Great Ethiopian Run with 37,000 other runners.
Stockport Harriers won last year’s event and runner Paul Nutter said: “Our hearts were touched by the friendliness of everyone we met at the Great Ethiopian Run, shaking hands and high fives with the children as they ran alongside.
“The music had a hypnotic sound that you just had to dance to, first your feet would tap then your shoulders, and before long your whole body was moving in time with the rhythm.
“I loved the big beaming smiles of everyone in Addis Ababa, which is a bustling city of over 6 million people. If the event wasn’t enough, we also mingled with some of the greatest athletes of our time. Julia Bleasdale, Kenenisa Bekele, Richard Nerurkar, Edna Kiplagat, Alistair Brownlee and the king himself Haile Gebrselassie!”
Dave Newton, managing director of Great Run Series organisers Nova International, said: “We’re thrilled to offer clubs the opportunity to take part in the Great Ethiopian Run again this year.
“Athletics clubs are a really important aspect of encouraging more people to take up and enjoy the sport. The 2013 and 2014 winning clubs who experienced the event first hand will attest to what a fantastic country and race it is, unlike anything English runners are likely to have experienced before. We hope to see many more clubs entering the Challenge in 2015.”
As well as offering the chance to win the top prize, the Great Club Challenge will also award winning clubs at each event £500 and 15 free entries to their respective 2016 Great Run, as well as ten and five free entries to the second and third placed clubs. All qualifying clubs are also eligible for spot prizes, which will be awarded across the competition.
» For further details and to enter see www.greatrun.org/clubchallenge
